I Am Uchiha Obito
by The Peytonator
Summary: Trapped and close to death, Obito prays. A god decides to save him, but it ends up differently than Obito would have ever imagined. Obito-centric story, AU. SUMMER HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Heya guys! So this idea just kind of came to me, and I felt like I needed to write it. I really like Obito as a character, and I thought it would be interesting to have a story focus on him. I don't normally ask for reviews, but if only for this chapter can you guys tell me what you think? If people seem to like it, I'll take it up! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks!

Chapter One: I Am Uchiha Obito

My name is Uchiha Obito, a chunin from Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves. And I'm dying. Darkness is all around me. Distantly, I can hear the sound of my teammate Kakashi fighting the last man who had ambushed us. I try to fight the weariness I'm feeling from blood loss, because in spite of the brave face I put on for my team, I'm terrified of dying. Even knowing that half my body was crushed, that I was missing an eye, I still hope that maybe I can hold on long enough for help to arrive. Even if my career as a shinobi ends…that's better than dying right? At least I'd still be around to see my friends. Friends…dammit I was finally friends with Kakashi! I finally made it through his arrogant, lone wolf mentality. Kami knows that Rin and I had tried for so long…Rin. Rin.

"Fuck! I don't wanna die! There's still so much I have left to do…" I whisper to the rocks, the sound of battle fading. I guess Kakashi won. He better have, or I swear I'll kill him in the afterlife. Take care of Rin for me Kakashi, and use my eye well. Shit, am I already giving up? Why did this have to happen? If only Minato were here…but it's no use. He had his own mission, and we had ours. We were chunin, we knew the risks of our profession.

"Why is this taking so long?"

They never tell you dying can be so boring. My body was so numb, it wasn't even painful. I guess that's a stroke of good fortune. I almost laugh, but the sobs come first. I can't even tell if I'm crying. I guess you can't cry without an eye. I wonder if people ever think about that? My eye…I wonder what people will think? I wonder what my family will think…not that they ever really cared. It was always about Fugaku, and how he's the greatest Uchiha in history, and how _great_ his kids will end up with him as their father!

What is a clan anyway? A family? No. My team was my family. My clan was…what? A collection of people who looked down on those who hadn't awoken their Sharingan? Well, I had awoken mine! So fuck those guys, fuck the haughty Uchiha clan. I would have shown them, I would have been the first Uchiha to become Hokage. Imagine their faces when the failure, poor little Obito, became the Hokage. Oh how'd they beg…

'_Oh, it was for your own good! It toughened you up! Made you the great man you are today!'_

'_Please Hokage-sama, forgive us for our complete stupidity!'_

Yeah, that's right. A clan isn't anything important. Bonds are important. They never had understood him anyway, never understood why he would even consider marrying outside the clan. That might dilute their perfect blood with the blood of a clanless commoner like…like Rin. Rin. Rin. Fuck! Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck. This can't be it, I won't let it be! But what can I do? I can pray I guess. That's what they always do in the movies right? The hero's pray for help, and the get it. Well, it's this hero's turn for some divine intervention.

"Kami…" I cough, a few splatters of blood landing on my chin. "Kami, I don't know if you're out there, but if you are…a little help? Please? Uh…your holiness?" I don't know how this works, I've never really paid much attention to the gods before. I had once talked to a Shinto priest, but to be honest…he bored me to tears. I waited for something to happen, anything at all to tell me someone was listening.

'_You're losing it Obito. Talking to gods…as if they even had time to spare for you. If they even exist at all!'_ My hope dwindled, a final tiny spark remaining. I thought of my friends again, of my teacher, of my village I loved so much. That spark ignited at my thoughts, a fire burning deep in my stomach. One more try then…

"Kami! Please, if you can help me, I beg of you to do so! Not for me, even though I'm scared…but for my friends! I need to be there for them, at their time of need!" I shout so loud, I feel as though the heavens must have heard. My voice echoes muffled through the collapsed cavern, before everything returns to silence. That fire of hope is crushed, leaving me cold and hollow. I decide to close my eyes and sleep. Kami willing, I would open them again.

X.X.X.X.X

A deep pool of blue shimmered, and then stilled. Upon it the broken form of Uchiha Obito could be seen, bloody and ruined. A figure draped all in white looked upon it curiously, running one finger over the half of his face that was visible, causing ripples to flow outward through the mirror. An echoing voice, almost like a woman's but not quite, shatters the silence.

"Interesting…this is one possibility I have not yet seen…I wonder…" the figure whispered as it observed, pondered these events with interest. The gods' servant spoke, his voice concerned.

"So that is the one who shapes so many futures?"

"Yes, this is the one," the god replied. Waving its hand, the mirror changed to show an adult Obito, his missing eye replaced with a Rinnegan, facing off against a vast force of shinobi that united against him.

"In some worlds this is his future. He will try to bring about the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and put the world into an eternal dream. Sometimes he will succeed, other times he will be stopped by two individuals…" the mirror changed again to show a blonde haired teen with whisker marks adorning his face, standing fast next to a raven haired teen that flashed his Sharingan at their mutual enemy.

"But I have not yet seen this possibility…one where he asks to be saved…"

"Surely you are not considering granting his request? The gods have not interfered in the mortal realm in centuries! Moreover, the Shinigami won't like you interfering if it affects the souls it can collect…" the servant asked, worried. The god scoffed.

"The Shinigami doesn't frighten me. Besides, I don't think it's exactly fair that the Shinigami has free reign on Earth while we sit here idly tapping our toes. I think I will grant his request…"

"But why?"

"Because I'm bored. Why else? I will save his life and send him to another world. I think it would be quite fun to see him when he realizes the greatest enemy the shinobi world faces is himself…and that he caused the death of his own sensei. Fufufufufu. Yes, quite fun indeed," the figure smiled mysteriously. The servant worried to itself, but knew it was not its place to question.

The god summoned its power for a moment, before it flared outward, shining down towards a small cave in Grass territory, where it pulled one person towards a decidedly uncertain future.

X.X.X.X.X.

Hatake Kakashi smiled under his mask. Since Naruto had just returned, he was tasked with seeing the results of his and Sakura's training, and so far it did not disappoint. Their combined strength still wasn't enough to take him though, which gave him a small amount of happiness. This was tempered slightly by the fact that if they had Sasuke with them still, things could be very different.

'_It's not time yet for me to retire then…'_

He sighed, leaning back against the tree he was sitting in front of. His thoughts turned to the new Icha Icha he had received from Naruto, and he desperately wanted to continue reading. He couldn't afford to let his guard down though. Naruto always managed to surprise you, and Kakashi was ready for him. Suddenly two figures burst from the trees, heading straight towards him. Recognizing his two students he sunk into a battle stance.

"A frontal assault? Getting a little overconfident aren't we?" he jabbed, though he was a little unnerved by Naruto's smile. Naruto shouted at him, and the silver haired Jonin felt something terrible was about to happen.

"Kakashi-sensei, listen to this! I know the final…" Whatever the blonde was about to yell was interrupted by a flash of bright light, and then a small explosion which sent dust and debris flying everywhere. Kakashi covered his face to protect himself from the shrapnel, before Tsunade, Shizune and Jiraiya were at his side, having been observing the match.

"Naruto, Sakura, are you two alright?" the Fifth Hokage shouted.

"We are both ok, Tsunade-sama, just a little dazed!" her pink haired apprentice called back.

"Kakashi-sensei, you have to teach me that jutsu!" the blonde yelled excitedly.

"Be on your guard you two! That wasn't me." Both students were immediately on their guard, standing back to back.

'_Hmph. That's just more evidence to show how much they've both grown…'_

The dust in the crater soon began to settle, prompting the shinobi present to cautiously approach. A lone figure could barely be made out in the evening light. Tsunade's medical instincts kicked in as she knelt down, immediately searching for vitals and possible injuries.

"Well he's alive, with no visible injuries. I don't recognize him, but he has a leaf headband…do any of you know him?" the Slug Sannin asked, receiving negatives from everyone except Kakashi, who stood rooted to the spot.

"Kakashi are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost?" Suddenly the figure groaned, his eyelids fluttering open to show two red eyes. "The Sharingan! An Uchiha?! But how?" The two eyes looked confusedly around the clearing, before settling on Kakashi. The jonin sunk to his knees, his eyes wide as he stared at the largest regret of his childhood. A single word managed to emerge from his dry throat.

"O-Obito?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Hey! So this would have been out earlier, but I sent the wrong document to my beta. Woops. Then I had to move back home for the summer since school is out, and blah blah more excuses. Sorry! Next week a chapter should be out for my other story Unexpected Alliance. Hope you guys will check it out and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

The Peytonator

Chapter 2: Providence

The hospital was quiet in the early hours of the morning as Shizune and Tsunade busied themselves with tests on a currently sleeping Obito. Standing watch in the hallway, Kakashi and Jiraiya exchanged quiet words.

"So, you really think it's him?" the Sannin asked.

"Yes. I can't explain why I'm so certain, and I know it shouldn't be him. Obito died years ago, and even if he survived somehow he looks as young as the last day I saw him," the silver haired Jonin replied.

"It could be genjutsu."

"We've already ruled that out. No Hyuga nurse could find any chakra interference in any of our brains."

"You're assuming this would be an ordinary genjutsu. You of all people should know there are more powerful ones out there."

"What, Tsukuyomi? Why would Itachi be behind this?"

"The kid did have the Sharingan. He could be fooling us."

"I guess we'll find out when Tsunade-sama finishes those blood tests." Jiraiya nodded, and the two continued to stand in silence. When Tsunade finally emerged, she gave Kakashi a small smile.

"It's him. The blood tests all came back exact. We couldn't detect any henges, seals, or any other jutsu that would make him look so young. So unless someone has created a jutsu that's able to fool every medical method currently available, that's your friend in there Kakashi."

"Right. Can I see him?" Tsunade nodded.

"He's resting right now, but you can wait until he wakes up if you'd like. Send Jiraiya to fetch me when he does wake, I have some questions for him, and I assume you do too."

"Will do. Thank you Tsunade-sama." Kakashi entered the room stealthily, taking a seat across from the bed. Kakashi was a mixed bag of emotions. To have Obito back…to make up for the wrongs of his childhood…it was something he had often dreamt of. At the same time, he was worried.

'_Everything is so different from when we were both kids. I can't help but wonder how he'll take it. The Uchiha clan weren't exactly renowned for their excellent coping skills.'_

Eventually the exhaustion he felt from both the spar he had with his students as well as the emotional drain of finding Obito alive pulled him into a dreamless sleep.

X.X.X.X.X

Obito drifted silently in an endless white abyss. It seemed like he had been floating for ages.

"I'm so boooooored! Is this really the afterlife?" he asked the void around him.

"….."

Obito looked around him curiously. "Weird…I could have sworn I heard someone…"

"…to…ito…"

"Ok, now I'm sure I heard someone! Hello!? Is someone calling me?" Obito flailed around helplessly. "How do you move in nothing?" he wondered, trying to 'swim' through the space around him. In the distance he could barely make out the outline of what he thought was another person. He continued to try to move himself in that direction, but it was all in vain.

"Hey! Over here! I'm Obito! Hello?" he called out. Suddenly the whiteness around him turned pitch black, and all he could hear was the wind whistling in his ear as he fell. As he tumbled helplessly, he thought he could make out a voice that was somewhat familiar.

"…it'll be ok…"

X.X.X.X.X.

Obito jerked awake, his mind still reeling from the sensation of falling. He rubbed the sweat from his forehead, and took a moment to calm his nerves. He took comfort in the white lights of his hospital room, a sight he was very familiar with due to his various training accidents.

'_Wait…hospital? How did I…Ah! The cave in! Kakashi and Rin must have found Minato-sensei and had him teleport me back to Konoha!'_ He grinned, blinking away tears that formed in both of his eyes. _'Hold on, I gave one of my eyes to Kakashi. Did he give it back? He would return a gift given on my deathbed, the arrogant little…'_

It was then that Obito began to observe the room around him. Much of it was the same as he remembered, though there were a few more fancy machines. Konoha looked the same as he recalled through the window, and the sun was just reaching its peak. He gazed briefly at the ninja he supposed was to watch over him in his critical condition, but did a double take. Something was very familiar about him…the spiked silver hair combined with a face mask, he almost looked like…

"Kakashi?" Obito asked, his voice hoarse. The ninja snapped awake when he heard Obito speak and raced to his side.

"Obito! You're awake at last, thank the gods," Kakashi said as he helped his friend to some water for his parched throat.

"A-awake at last? Oh no, I was in a coma wasn't I?! That's why you look so old and withered! I've been wasting away my prime years in this hospital bed! My muscles have atrophied by now, I'll never be a ninja again!" Obito yelled out in full-panic mode.

"Obito! Calm down, you're alright." _'Do I really look old and withered?' _"You've only been in the hospital for one day."

"One day? How could that be?"

"You tell me Obito," Kakashi said, producing a small mirror for the Uchiha. Obito gasped at his reflection.

"I'm still young. But…how? I don't even have any scars from the rocks crushing me."

"That's what we want to know. I'm going to send for the Hokage, you wait right here," Kakashi told him as he moved to the door to fill Jiraiya in on what had transpired. While the toad sage leapt off to get the Hokaage, Kakashi and Obito sat quietly. The young Uchiha's head was spinning as he tried to puzzle out what had happened to him. They didn't have to wait long, however.

"Alright Obito, tell me everything you remember," Tsunade said as she strode quickly into the room, Jiraiya in tow.

"Tsunade-sama? Jiraiya-sama? I thought the Hokage was coming? Where's Minato-sensei?" Obito asked curiously. The three adults looked at each other worriedly.

"I am the Godaime Hokage. Minato died 15 years ago. I'm sorry Obito," Tsunade explained gently.

"Minato-sensei…died? How? What did I miss?" Obito asked incredulously.

"We'll explain everything in due time Obito. What's most important now is that we figure out exactly what happened."

"Alright. I'm sure you know everything that happened up until the cave in," Obito said, getting nods all around. "Well after Kakashi took Rin away, I realized that I really didn't want to die. I remember praying to Kami for help, before everything went dark. I don't remember anything after that point."

"You…prayed? Could it be…an intervention of the gods?" Tsunade mumbled to herself. Jiraiya scoffed.

"Come now Tsunade, that's a little outlandish don't you think?"

"Well do you have a better explanation?"

"Personally I thought that some leaf ninja must have found me and healed me, but if I really only appeared this morning…I don't know," Obito mused. "Hey Kakashi, why'd you give me back my eye anyway? It was a gift after all." Kakashi stared at him for a moment, before moving to lift up his leaf headband that covered his left eye.

"That's something else we don't understand. I still have your eye, which means that somehow you've gained a new one," the silver haired Jonin explained. Obito gaped at his friend for a moment before falling back into his hospital bed.

"Maybe…could it really have been divine intervention? I mean, what other than a god could regrow an eye, heal fatal injuries and seemingly send me forward in time? Other than a genjutsu," Obito added as an afterthought, before his eyes went wide and he slammed his hands together.

"KAI!" Obito yelled as he flared his chakra. Kakashi looked at his friend blankly.

"Really you should have tried that right away. Any proper shinobi would suspect some form of genjutsu," he admonished.

"Don't start with me Kakashi. Now, I think I need to be brought up to speed on what I've missed." The three adults all grimaced, but began to fill Obito in on everything that had happened in the 20 years he had been absent. When they finally finished, Obito's fists were clenched tightly. Kakashi looked on his friend with sorrow.

"My clan, all dead or rogue. My sensei and his wife, both gone. Rin…is gone. It wasn't supposed to be this way…" Obito jerked his head up to glare at Kakashi, the Uchiha's Sharingan spinning into view. "You were supposed to protect her! You promised me that!" he screamed. His anger abated slightly when Kakashi slumped and bowed his head in front of Obito.

"I know I promised to look after her. I failed to protect all who were precious to me, and I tried for a long time to die to be with you all. In the end I realized that none of you would have wanted me to throw my life away or to live it in hatred. I'm truly sorry, Obito," Kakashi said, his voice thick with emotion. The Uchiha glared for a moment longer, but his old friend's words rang true. Obito deactivated his Kekkai Genkai and stared out the window.

"Raise your head Kakashi. I want to be angry at you and to blame you for her death, but Rin wouldn't want that. She would try and have us both get along, even after all of this. She would be happy knowing that she died to save the village. So I forgive you, even if it might take me a bit to get over this completely," Obito said wistfully. Kakashi looked at him in surprise.

"I…I never expected this. Thank you Obito," Kakashi said, smiling.

"Yeah, just don't get all sappy on me. It's weird to see you so humble," Obito said contritely, but a small smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth. "So what happens to me now Tsunade-sama?" The Hokage sighed.

"Well it's difficult. We've never dealt with a case of a ninja who was declared dead for so long and returned as young as he left. It'll be hard to explain to everyone, but I'll do it for Kakashi. Besides, we could always use strong shinobi, and having the Sharingan back in the village should restore some moral. However, I can't reinstate your shinobi license. I have to issue a new one which means you'll be a leaf ninja capable of taking missions, but you'll start out at Genin and have to work your way up again."

"What?! I'll have to get promoted to Chunin again? Ugh, fine. I've done it once already so doing it again shouldn't be too much harder," Obito sighed. He really didn't like the Forest of Death.

"Kakashi, seeing as you're team still has a Genin and is one short, I'll be assigning Obito to your squad," Tsunade explained, drawing a smile from the Jonin and a groan from Obito.

"Kakashi as my Jonin instructor? He was bad enough as just my teammate."

"Oh don't be that way, Obito-kun. I'll be a great teacher!" Kakashi teased.

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't expect me to call you Kakashi-sensei…"

X.X.X.X.X.

After checking Obito over one more time to make sure he was cleared for release, Obito and Kakashi left the hospital towards the training grounds. Obito snugged his goggles onto his forehead and smiled.

"Whatever happened to bring me here, I'm glad to be back."

"It's good to have you back Obito. I'm interested to see how much your Sharingan helps you in a spar."

"So what are my new teammates like?"

"Well…Sakura is a medic-nin trained by Tsunade herself. She has the same massive strength and temper. She has a good heart though, even if she can be somewhat overbearing. Naruto was trained by Jiraiya and is Minato-sensei's son, but he actually reminds me a lot of you Obito. He has the same goofy personality and never give up attitude, as well as the same dream."

"Seems like I've got some competition to be the Rokudaime. Though it doesn't surprise me that Minato-sensei's son would want to be Hokage," Obito laughed before being stopped by Kakashi.

"About that. Naruto doesn't know who his parents are, and we aren't allowed to tell him."

"Eh? If we can't tell him, how will he find out?"

"The Sandaime set it up so that when Naruto reached Chunin, he would find out about the Kyuubi as well as his parentage. He may have had the first part told to him, but that doesn't mean we are allowed to tell him the rest," Kakashi explained. Obito frowned before nodding.

"Alright then, I guess that means it's up to us to get him promoted."

"And get yourself re-promoted as well," the Copy-Nin chuckled.

"A side benefit, sure. If Sakura is already a Chunin though, I wonder who will be our third teammate?" Kakashi shrugged.

"Some loner who is available I suppose. Tsunade-sama will work it out, don't worry." Obito nodded, and the two continued slowly to the training ground. Obito stared at many of the people he passed, recognizing some people he had known. He in turn received a few looks of semi-recognition before the people shook their heads and continued onwards.

Upon arriving at the training grounds, they found Naruto and Sakura talking and getting ready for the day's training. When Naruto noticed them entering the field, he waved at them.

"Yo Kakashi-sensei! And…that guy from earlier! What's going on?" the blonde asked. Kakashi sighed.

"Alright, listen closely. I don't really want to explain this more than once." After detailing roughly what they had figured must have happened, Sakura was slack jawed, while Naruto had a puzzled look on his face.

"I don't really get it, but basically you're a time traveler?" Naruto asked. Obito rubbed the back of his head.

"Um, I guess so."

"That is so COOL!" the Jinchuriki yelled excitedly.

"Alright you three, you know the drill. Bell test time," Kakashi said. The three students groaned.

"Again? I already have a foolproof plan to beat you Kakashi-sensei," Naruto explained. The Jonin smiled.

"I'm sure you do Naruto, which is why you won't be trying to get the bells from me."

"Huh? Then who…" Naruto started until he saw the person they would be facing enter the clearing.

"That would be me Naruto. Sorry if I'm late. I had to finish up the paperwork before Shizune would let me off the hook," Tsunade explained, cracking her knuckles and grinning. All three students paled, and shared a thought.

'_This is gonna hurt.'_


End file.
